Introduction
Throughout our Actor and Text classes, we explored multiple methods on how to break down scripts, analyse characters and develop our performances through techniques outline by Stanislavski and Katie Mitchell, approached by perspectives of both an actor and a director. We engaged in various practical activities and open discussions when experimenting and developing with each technique. The pieces of texts we worked with included The Bear, Love and Information, and a duologue from Eigengrau. In this essay I will outline techniques and choices used with both The Bear and Love and Information during our classes and reflect on how helpful I found them in developing my acting practice.
The Bear
The Bear is an Anton Chekhov play, written in 1888, we studied the version translated by Michael Frayn. The play consists of only three characters; Popova, Smirnov and Luka. In class, we discussed how the minimal cast reflects the play’s origins in a time when theatrical work was often written not for performance, but for private reading, typically over drinks. A general synopsis of this play is that the plot centers on Popova, who is mourning her late husband, while Smirnov, who has outstanding debts owed by her husband, arrives to collect his money. Their disagreement about when the money can be paid unexpectedly results in a romantic ending for the pair. Upon reading the play, we began by analysing the text and engaging in a discussion about the various given circumstances.
In the subsequent lessons, we delved deeply into our exploration of the given circumstances, employing techniques outlined by Konstantin Stanislavski. We explored the important questions of where, why, who, when, how, and for what reason each character exists within the play. Our first step was to identify each character’s super-objective— the key concept they want to achieve throughout the play, and it can not be changed or altered. Stanislavski emphasised that knowing the super-objective holds “enormous practical significance” (An Actor’s Work, p. 312), and that every action onstage should contribute toward achieving this objective; if an action does not serve the super-objective, it is not needed. We determined that Luka’s super-objective was to die peacefully, free from any turmoil; Popova’s was to get revenge on her husband; and Smirnov’s was to find a worthy and equal partner. I found this exercise valuable for clarifying the main desire driving my character, which helped me make meaningful choices throughout the play. However, as we began to apply other techniques, I found myself losing focus of the super-objective, becoming too focused on the individual scenes or events. In future work, I would revisit my super-objective before and after each section or rehearsal of the play to ensure that every choice I made remained aligned with it. A good example of this was when I applied this method in my Acting Through Song research, where I made it a point to identify my character’s super-objective throughout the entire musical, not just within the confines of the song itself, reminding myself of it each time before performing.
Next, we explored the shifts in the events of the play and identified the objectives each character pursues during these moments, which is another key aspect of Stanislavski’s system—an influential guide of dramatic training for actors to become the audience’s educators. Objectives clarify a character’s motivations and desires in each event, with an “event” being any change in the narrative focus or the direction of the plot. Stanislavski described objectives as “the driving force behind all action” (Merlin, 2007). In our exploration of The Bear, we began by pinpointing moments in the play where the focus shifted, which we as a class identified through discussion. We then marked these changes in our scripts and each selected a character to articulate their objectives for each event. For instance, in the opening scene, I determined Popova’s objective to be the desire to be left alone to mourn her late husband. (Attached are the objectives I identified for her throughout the play.) Initially, I found this task challenging because I was focused on making the objective sound interesting, but I quickly realised that the objective does not need be extraordinary—it simply has to tell us what the character wants in the given moment. To ensure clarity, I began each objective with “I want…” to ground myself in the character’s given circumstances rather than letting my imagination dictate the action. I found this technique to be helpful, as it provided me with a clear goal to achieve within each scene. Going forward, I would continue to use this method in script work and in ensemble roles to perform my actions with purpose—even when my character is not the central focus of the scene. I strongly agree with Stanislavski’s statement that objectives are a vital tool in character development. I feel that having these objectives clearly outlined is essential to any meaningful progression of my character, because much of my performance should be guided by what my character wants.
Lastly, we explored the concept of actions and tactics from Stanislavski’s system, which are also important to the rehearsal process used by director Max Stafford-Clarke. In Stanislavski’s framework, actions refer to the specific steps a character takes to achieve their objective, how they will go about fulfilling their desire within the scene. The goal is to ensure that every choice made on stage serves a clear, purposeful intention. Stanislavski himself advises, “Don’t act ‘in general,’ for the sake of action; always act with purpose” (An Actor Prepares). During class, I worked on Event 10, which occurs when Popova and Smirnov are about to fight. For each line, I assigned an action that aligned with my intention for conveying the desired emotion or meaning in my delivery. (Attached is a picture of my annotated script.) This technique became my favourite throughout our classes with Tyrell, as it helped me break down each line into its purpose and, more importantly, clarified how I could physically and vocally embody that purpose. For example, while working on the line “But before we start, kindly show me how to use them,” I initially chose to deliver it with a loud volume and a strong, defiant stance. However, I quickly realised that a more effective choice for Popova was to adopt a stern tone and to close the proximity between myself and Smirnov, which conveyed the character’s command with a stronger force. This discovery led me to appreciate the ways in which tone, pitch, tempo, volume, and body language can all work together to highlight a single action. Moving forward, I plan to continue utilising this technique in my script work and hope to explore how it can further enhance my physical performance, especially in musical theatre, where combining vocal and physical expression is crucial.
Love and information
The next play we worked on was Love and Information by Caryl Churchill. This play has seven distinct sections, each consisting of a series of short scenes. Due to the minimal context provided, these scenes can function independently and offer flexibility in casting, allowing for a wide range of interpretations. Much of our exploration of this play was influenced by the work of Katie Mitchell, described as “one of the most adventurous and respected directors” (The Director’s Craft).
The concept of given circumstances was a key focus in our exploration of Love and Information, especially given the minimal context provided within the play. Drawing from Katie Mitchell’s approach, we began organising our initial responses to the text by posing questions and listing the known facts about each scene. These questions helped us structure our understanding of the material. Mitchell believes that “organising information this way encourages you to hold an objective relationship to the material and inhibits premature attempts to interpret the play” (The Director’s Craft, p. 11). I found this method particularly helpful, as it prevented me from making assumptions based on the subtext, which often leads to conveying a message that diverges from the playwright’s intention. One specific task that reinforced this process involved being given a scene with little context, where we were tasked with establishing the facts and circumstances ourselves, such as the characters’ location, identities, relationships, and ages. I found myself relating the facts to my own experiences, which illuminated how crucial it is to fully understand every element of the scene, because making the given circumstances things I knew and could relate to helped massively with making acting choices. Researching the setting and other contextual details was beneficial, underscoring Mitchell’s belief that in-depth research into the given circumstances enhances an actor’s ability to develop an informed performance. Additionally, we used another exercise to enhance our sense of naturalism: before rehearsing, we mapped out the set and props in the rehearsal space to better understand how we might interact with the environment instinctively. This proved especially useful for me when considering eye contact during moments of stillness or daydreaming, as it helped me align my physical choices with the scene’s context.
Building on this, we deepened our exploration of character development, which involves fully engaging with the character’s life, interests, and personality—not just within the measures of a single scene or play. Katie Mitchell describes this process as “stepping inside the character’s life and looking out at the world through their eyes” (The Director’s Craft, p. 68). Our first task was to examine the text for evidence of how the character perceives themselves, how others perceive them, and how the playwright views the character. This exercise was instrumental in understanding the character’s relationships and thought patterns. Upon reflecting on this task, I would suggest using it primarily when analysing an entire play rather than focusing on individual scenes, as it proved challenging to uncover a relationship between two characters in a short duologue. Another method for developing character is through improvisation, where the character is placed in a different setting and context than that of the play. The goal, as Mitchell explains, is “to build pictures of the past that will support what the characters do and say in the present action of the play” (The Director’s Craft, p. 72). We applied this technique through an activity called Hot Seating, in which we partnered up, asked each other a series of questions, and responded in character. This exercise significantly enhanced my understanding of my character, as it required me to think deeply about how they would react and answer each question. This is a technique I plan to incorporate into all of my future character work, as it helped me connect with the character on a much deeper level and start thinking as they would. While we also used Pinterest boards and Spotify playlists to embody our character, I found these activities enjoyable but not particularly beneficial in terms of deepening my understanding of the role.
Similarly to The Bear, we explored the events and intentions within Love and Information, focusing on what our characters’ intentions would be in the specific event assigned to us from each short section. We were tasked with outlining what our character wanted and who from. I worked on Act 4, “Dinner,” and had already completed the earlier exercises, which helped me establish the given circumstances. For this scene, I created a scenario where two sisters are supposed to attend dinner with the buyers of their house, but one sister pretends to forget the appointment because she does not want the house to be sold. The intentions I identified were I want to attend the dinner to meet the house buyers, and I want to prove to my sister that I indeed informed her about the dinner. Next, we examined how we could achieve these intentions, using various tactics. For instance, I used tactics such as persuasion, convincing, proving, and telling. In rehearsal, we experimented with performing the scene using different emotional choices to see which ones most effectively highlighted our character’s intentions. I found this activity extremely useful, as it encouraged me to step outside my initial assumptions about how to convey the character’s emotional state. For example, when attempting to convince my sister that I had indeed told her about the dinner, I initially chose to play the scene with anger. However, I discovered that portraying a sense of sadness and disappointment better supported my intention and created a more authentic dynamic between the characters.
Conclusion
To conclude our exploration of acting techniques inspired by Stanislavski and Katie Mitchell, Sophie and I selected a section from Scene 5 of Eigengrau by Penelope Skinner. During rehearsals, we applied the techniques we had found most useful, including outlining our objectives, engaging in Hot Seating, researching the given circumstances, and improvising with various tactics and emotional choices to achieve our character’s intentions. When performing our piece for the class, I felt confident in my understanding of my character, their relationships, and the given circumstances. However, upon reflection, I believe that with more rehearsal time, I could have improved my performance to achieve a deeper connection with the material and further enhance its emotional impact.
Bibliography
Chekhov, A. (1993) Chekhov plays: the seagull, uncle vanya, three sisters, the cherry orchard, and four vaudevilles, Translated by M. Frayn, London: Bloomsbury
Churchill, C. (2013). Love and Information. New York: Theatre Communication Group.
Mitchell, K. (2009). The Director’s Craft. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Moore, S (1998). Konstantin Stanislavsky. [Online]. Britannica. Last Updated: 8th November 2024. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Konstantin-Stanislavsky [Accessed 20th December 2024].
O’Brien, N. (2018). Stanislavski in Practice: Exercises for Students. 2nd ed. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Skinner, P. (2010). Eigengrau. London: Faber and Faber.
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (1998). Stanislavsky system acting. [Online]. Britannica. Last Updated: 5th December 2024. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/Stanislavsky-system [Accessed 19 December 2024]
